NABET-CWA Applauds New York ‘Broadcast Employees Freedom to Work Act’

    WASHINGTON, Aug. 13 /EMWPresswire/ -- The recently signed

Broadcast Employees Freedom to Work Act in New York is an important step in

bolstering the rights of broadcast employees by lifting restrictions on

their flexibility to find new jobs when they leave an employer, said the

National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, a sector of

the Communications Workers of America.



    The legislation, recently signed by Governor David Paterson, bans

"non-compete" restrictions in employment contracts that prohibit workers

from finding new jobs with a competitor in the same market or within a

particular timeframe.



    NABET-CWA has been pressing for the legislation for several years, said

union president John S. Clark, and he singled out an officer of Local 25 in

Buffalo for special credit in spearheading the lobbying effort. "Broadcast

industry workers in New York State should be grateful to Local Vice

President Bob Hellwitz for his tireless commitment to passing this law,"

Clark said.



    Clark noted that non-compete clauses often force workers to uproot

families and relocate in order to find new jobs.



    Paterson said when he signed the bill: "The contract provisions we're

banning placed an unfair burden on these professionals by limiting their

ability to move to other employers. We hope to empower broadcasters with

greater independence as they pursue employment options."